Thermometer



Patented Sept. 30,` 1952 THERMOMETER John J. Crawley, Scarsdale, N. Y., assigner to Win. f- H. Wise & Co., I'nc., New ,York,'N. Y.,.a' corpora-"f y tion of New York Application November 9, 1949, serial No. 126,358 Lr The present invention relates to thermometers.

and more particularly to thermometers embody- `ing a thermometer tube secured to a back plate carrying suitable scale indicia and perhaps other information, the invention having particularly to do with improved means for securing the tube to the back plate.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or maybe learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the .instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claim.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof. illustrate an em- I: bodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a typical and illustrative embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The object of the invention is the provision of an improved thermometer of the type comprising a tube and a back plate to which the tube is secured, the invention providing means for securing the tube to the plate which are strong and of relative simplicity, and may be applied to provide a clean and efficient final assembly without damage to the porcelain covering of the back plate and with relative economy.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention herein shown and described by way of example, there is provided a thermometer tube of any suitable and conventional type and a back plate therefor which carries calibrations in degrees of heat and perhaps other information which might be useful in cooking, for instance, the particular embodiment of the invention herein disclosed being adapted for use in the roasting of meats. Clasps are provided for clamping across the tube to hold it to the back plate, and the clasps are held to the plate by means of rivets passing through the plate. The plate is pierced to provide apertures to receive said rivets, and such piercing is done from the front surface toward the rear of the plate, whereby annular. integral raised portions are produced at the back of the 1 Claim. (C1. vs -35er plate surrounding the' apertures. The rivets are preferably of a type inwhich at least a portion of the length'is hollow adjacent one end,l and this end is positioned at the rear. surface of the plate and peer'ied` over` the raised annular portions just mentioned. .r Referring now in detail to the embodiment Vof the invention shown in the drawings, a thermometer tube- Ill is provided having its lower/endencased in a conical metallicend piece Il. whereby the tube may be inserted conveniently intomeat or othery food while cooking, if desired., Thesback.

plate I2 is formed as shown of metal tolireceive the tube II! and .carry suitable indicia I3 from which indicated temperature maybe taken.` The tube I0 is preferably provided with anextension I4 (dotted linesFig. liadapted to, be received within an aperturel in plate I2 to prevent relav tive movement of the-tube and plate when finally assembled, which would destroy accuracybfv the instrument.

The tube I0 is centrally positioned on the back plate I2 and securely held thereto by means of one or more U shaped clasps I6. each said clasp comprising a curved extent I1 to engage the surface of tube IIJ, and a pair of plane end portions I8 adapted to seat on the front surface of plate I2. The clasps I6 are held in position by means of rivets I9, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Said units pass through a suitable aperture in each of the clasp end portions I8, and through registering apertures 20 in back plate I2.

As shown, the apertures 20 in the back plate are most eniciently and economically formed by piercing the back plate from the front surface thereof toward and through the rear surface, and in this operation the displaced material forms an annular extension 2I about each aperture 20 out of the plane of the rear surface of the back plate I2 and integral with the back plate. The back plate is provided with a coatingof vitreous enamel 22 covering all exterior surfaces of it as completely as possible, and the tube Ill is thereafter secured in place.

The rivets I9 are provided with heads 23 which are adapted to seat on the plane portions I8 of clasps I6, and the opposite ends of the rivets are positioned at the rear surface of plate I2 and preferably have a central bore 24 sulcient to allow easy peening over of the rivet. As shown in Fig. 2, the assembly is completed and fixed in place by spreading or peening over the hollow rivet ends in portions 25, on the raised annular portions 2| at the back surface of the plate I2.

Applicant thus provides a thermometer as during riveting and protects the coating 22 from f undue stresses. Furthermore. the annular ,portions 2l above the rear surface of the back'plate upon which spreading takes izplace ,in-afiixin'g the rivets provides a strengthened 7struuture fin'th'e plate Where force is applied,` serving to localize the eects of pressure, prevent undue exing of the plate and possible cracking of the coatingl 22. The coating 22 tends to pull awa`y yfrom places where edges are ;presented in back plate .If2, .and Vthis-is trueof theeedges of annular por tions V2 i-,so that theturned ends 25 of the rivets tare zpositioned both to -cover and protect these Z.edges and -to ine-applied vWhere a coating is very thin lor not present at all. .The described construction results in further economies -in fabriicatingthe instrument, as 'the apertures 2D :may simply fbe pierced and no .further smoothing vor finishing operation 'is necessary. VIn the revent ythat'the edges 'of .the annular' extensions 2l Aare :rougher uneven, :they may be iatten'ed .and fcovered by rivet-end ,',portions 25 kwhen vthe 'rivets .eare-aiiixed.

4JThe' invention .in fits 'broader laspects Ais Lnot limited to the :specific mechanisms shown r:and Iiescrib'ed but departures may be .'made 'there- .ztrom, `within the scope of the vaccompanying claim, without departing from the principles vof the invention 'and *without :sacrificing its r chief fadv'antages.

What I claim is: Y Y l A thermometer comprising, in combination, thermometer tube, a vitreous enamel covered back plate to carry said tube, said plate having front and rear surfaces and a pair of apertures one at either side of said tube, said apertures being formed by piercing said plate from the front to the ,rear surface thereof providing integral annular portions Iof material displaced vvfrom said plate, said annular portions surrounding the apertures and extending outwardly from the rear surface of said back plate, a clasp of thinner material than the back plate for securing said tube ,to said .back plate comprising a curved centralextent vengaging said tube and plate, said clasp'liaving apertured end portions one at either end thereof seated on the front surface of the back plate, the apertures therein registering Withrespective ones of said apertures in said back plate, and a pair of rivets each having a'solid head seated on a lrespective one of said `clasp -end portions, passing Ithrough said rapertures'and having hollow ends at the rearof said baci: plate spreadvand seated on respectivean- Vnulariback'piatev portions, the spread rivet .ends

being turned over and downwardly on `said integral annular back plate portions.

JOI-INJ. CRAWLEY.

.REFERENCES CIT-ED The following references v are of yrecord 'in the file of'this patent: Y

UNITED STATES'PATENTS vMears r-...... Nov. 17.; v1942 

